Trump departs Trump Tower on his way to court for closing arguments in his civil fraud trial
From CNN's Laura Dolan
Former President Donald Trump has departed Trump Tower and is now en route to court in downtown Manhattan where he will voluntarily attend closing arguments for his civil fraud trial.
About the civil fraud trial: In post-trial briefs filed last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James increased the amount of damages she is seeking from $250 million to $370 million in damages.
She also wants to bar Trump from doing business in the state, alleging that Trump, his adult sons and his company defrauded banks and insurance companies by inflating the value of Trump's assets.
6 min ago
Judge and his clerk have received hundreds of "serious and credible" threats over course of trial
Since October 3, when Trump posted on social media a baseless allegation about Engoron's law clerk, threats against the judge “increased exponentially” and were also directed to his clerk, Charles Hollon, a court officer-captain in New York assigned to the Judicial Threats Assessment unit of the Department of Public Safety, said in November.
Hollon said the threats against the judge and his clerk are “considered to be serious and credible and not hypothetical or speculative.”
Details in a court filing outline dozens of messages daily, phone doxing and the use of antisemitic language.
Hollon said Engoron’s law clerk has received 20 to 30 calls per day to her personal cell phone and 30 to 50 messages daily on social media platforms and two personal email addresses.
30 min ago
Bomb threat reported at house of judge presiding over the Trump civil fraud trial as court expected to proceed
From CNN's Kara Scannell
There was a bomb threat at the home of New York Judge Arthur Engoron hours before closing arguments in the Trump civil fraud trial were set to begin Thursday.
"We're aware there was a bomb threat against Justice Engoron, said Al Baker, a spokesperson for the court administration.
The Nassau County, New York, police department and bomb squad responded, a person familiar with the matter said.
"We've had layers of security protocols in place since the onset of the proceedings. They will continue," the spokesman said. He added extra layers of security have been added for Engoron's safety.
"We anticipate the proceedings to continue as planned, he said.
32 min ago
Key takeaways from Trump's previous testimony in the New York civil fraud trial
From CNN's Jeremy Herb, Lauren del Valle and Kara Scannell
In this courtroom sketch, Judge Arthur Engoron, center, speaks to Chris Kise, left, directing him to speak with Trump, far right, to answer the questions by the assistant attorney general in New York City on November 6, 2023. Elizabeth Williams/AP
Donald Trump brought bombastic rhetoric to the witness stand at the beginning of November in the civil fraud case against him and his business. While he was testifying for the prosecution, he spent his time on the stand attacking the New York attorney general who brought the case and the judge overseeing the trial itself.
Now, Trump's attorneys and the New York attorney general’s office will present closing arguments in the case on Thursday. The judge said he will aim to file a written decision on the docket by the end of January.
Trump’s testimony at times mimicked his appearances on the campaign trail, where the former president has made the four criminal cases against him a central part of his argument to be elected president again in 2024.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who has clashed with Trump throughout the trial, at first tried to stop the former president’s political barbs and speechifying, telling his lawyer Chris Kise to “control your client” and threatening to have Trump removed as a witness. Eventually, the judge stopped trying to control Trump — he and the attorney general’s lawyer questioning Trump let him rant, and then mostly disregarded the missives.
Trump's campaign comes to the courtroom: The former president’s rhetoric at times during his testimony might as well have been at one of his rallies in front of supporters. He went after the attorney general. The judge. And the “political witch hunt” that he’s been railing against for years now. On the witness stand, the charged rhetoric was even more remarkable, as he attacked the judge sitting right next to him, with James in the courtroom watching his testimony just feet away. “The fraud is on the court, not on me,” Trump said.
Trump gets an angry response from the judge: Judge Engoron tried at the outset of Trump’s testimony to stop the former president from making speeches and instead answer the questions, but it did little to change Trump’s approach. The judge responded by threatening to remove Trump from the witness stand, though that didn’t deter the former president either. “This is not a political rally,” Engoron said to Trump, telling Trump's attorney to “control your client.”
Trump acknowledges changing valuation of Trump Tower triplex: The attorney general’s office pressed Trump on the properties central to his identity and brand: Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower and other key parts of his real estate empire. The AG's office attorney Kevin Wallace also pressed Trump on why valuations of properties were changed, such as his Trump Tower triplex, which was devalued on his financial statement in 2017 after a Forbes article found he had dramatically exaggerated the size of the apartment. Trump acknowledged there had on occasion been mistakes, such as the Trump Tower apartment valuation.
Trump’s descriptions of his properties: The former president’s rhetorical flourishes went beyond attacking those who are investigating him. He also took the opportunity to play salesman and play up his properties. One of his chief complaints about the judge is a citation in his decision that Mar-a-Lago was worth $18 million, a number based on Florida tax appraisal records “It’s much more valuable,” Trump said of Mar-a-Lago, “and we’ll show that in two weeks or five weeks or nine weeks or whenever this thing goes, that it’s biggest value is using it as a club.” Wallace took the answer to pin him down on that valuation. “You believe that as of today Mar-a-Lago is worth $1.5 billion?” Wallace asked. “I think between a billion and a billion-five,” Trump responded.
Trump expected in court: Former President Donald Trump plans to attend closing arguments Thursday in the New York civil fraud trial against him. Trump is not expected to speak in court, however, after the judge rejected a request because the former president wouldn't agree to restrictions on what he could discuss.
What's at stake: New York Attorney General Letitia James is seeking $370 million in damages and to bar Trump from doing business in the state, alleging that the former president, his adult sons and his company defrauded banks and insurance companies by inflating the value of Trump’s assets. The judge said he’ll aim to file a written decision on the docket by the end of January.
Trump's campaign and legal worlds collide: Trump’s presence at the closing arguments just days before the Iowa caucuses underscores how intertwined his legal and political worlds have become. He's made the four criminal indictments against him a key part of his 2024 campaign.
Former President Donald Trump has departed Trump Tower and is now en route to court in downtown Manhattan where he will voluntarily attend closing arguments for his civil fraud trial.
About the civil fraud trial: In post-trial briefs filed last week, New York Attorney General Letitia James increased the amount of damages she is seeking from $250 million to $370 million in damages.
She also wants to bar Trump from doing business in the state, alleging that Trump, his adult sons and his company defrauded banks and insurance companies by inflating the value of Trump's assets.
Since October 3, when Trump posted on social media a baseless allegation about Engoron's law clerk, threats against the judge “increased exponentially” and were also directed to his clerk, Charles Hollon, a court officer-captain in New York assigned to the Judicial Threats Assessment unit of the Department of Public Safety, said in November.
Hollon said the threats against the judge and his clerk are “considered to be serious and credible and not hypothetical or speculative.”
Details in a court filing outline dozens of messages daily, phone doxing and the use of antisemitic language.
Hollon said Engoron’s law clerk has received 20 to 30 calls per day to her personal cell phone and 30 to 50 messages daily on social media platforms and two personal email addresses.
There was a bomb threat at the home of New York Judge Arthur Engoron hours before closing arguments in the Trump civil fraud trial were set to begin Thursday.
"We're aware there was a bomb threat against Justice Engoron, said Al Baker, a spokesperson for the court administration.
The Nassau County, New York, police department and bomb squad responded, a person familiar with the matter said.
"We've had layers of security protocols in place since the onset of the proceedings. They will continue," the spokesman said. He added extra layers of security have been added for Engoron's safety.
"We anticipate the proceedings to continue as planned, he said.
In this courtroom sketch, Judge Arthur Engoron, center, speaks to Chris Kise, left, directing him to speak with Trump, far right, to answer the questions by the assistant attorney general in New York City on November 6, 2023. Elizabeth Williams/AP
Donald Trump brought bombastic rhetoric to the witness stand at the beginning of November in the civil fraud case against him and his business. While he was testifying for the prosecution, he spent his time on the stand attacking the New York attorney general who brought the case and the judge overseeing the trial itself.
Now, Trump's attorneys and the New York attorney general’s office will present closing arguments in the case on Thursday. The judge said he will aim to file a written decision on the docket by the end of January.
Trump’s testimony at times mimicked his appearances on the campaign trail, where the former president has made the four criminal cases against him a central part of his argument to be elected president again in 2024.
Judge Arthur Engoron, who has clashed with Trump throughout the trial, at first tried to stop the former president’s political barbs and speechifying, telling his lawyer Chris Kise to “control your client” and threatening to have Trump removed as a witness. Eventually, the judge stopped trying to control Trump — he and the attorney general’s lawyer questioning Trump let him rant, and then mostly disregarded the missives.
Trump's campaign comes to the courtroom: The former president’s rhetoric at times during his testimony might as well have been at one of his rallies in front of supporters. He went after the attorney general. The judge. And the “political witch hunt” that he’s been railing against for years now. On the witness stand, the charged rhetoric was even more remarkable, as he attacked the judge sitting right next to him, with James in the courtroom watching his testimony just feet away. “The fraud is on the court, not on me,” Trump said.
Trump gets an angry response from the judge: Judge Engoron tried at the outset of Trump’s testimony to stop the former president from making speeches and instead answer the questions, but it did little to change Trump’s approach. The judge responded by threatening to remove Trump from the witness stand, though that didn’t deter the former president either. “This is not a political rally,” Engoron said to Trump, telling Trump's attorney to “control your client.”
Trump acknowledges changing valuation of Trump Tower triplex: The attorney general’s office pressed Trump on the properties central to his identity and brand: Mar-a-Lago, Trump Tower and other key parts of his real estate empire. The AG's office attorney Kevin Wallace also pressed Trump on why valuations of properties were changed, such as his Trump Tower triplex, which was devalued on his financial statement in 2017 after a Forbes article found he had dramatically exaggerated the size of the apartment. Trump acknowledged there had on occasion been mistakes, such as the Trump Tower apartment valuation.
Trump’s descriptions of his properties: The former president’s rhetorical flourishes went beyond attacking those who are investigating him. He also took the opportunity to play salesman and play up his properties. One of his chief complaints about the judge is a citation in his decision that Mar-a-Lago was worth $18 million, a number based on Florida tax appraisal records “It’s much more valuable,” Trump said of Mar-a-Lago, “and we’ll show that in two weeks or five weeks or nine weeks or whenever this thing goes, that it’s biggest value is using it as a club.” Wallace took the answer to pin him down on that valuation. “You believe that as of today Mar-a-Lago is worth $1.5 billion?” Wallace asked. “I think between a billion and a billion-five,” Trump responded.
